Neal walked into the bar down the street. He was wearing a pair of faded blue jeans, a black button up shirt, with his classic devour hat placed perfectly on his shaggy black hair. He didn't look like the usual Neal, but he definitely didn't look bad either. If you didn't know him you'd figure him for a regular guy who would come to the bar to hear the show, have a few drinks, and pick up a chick or two. This was definitely not the normal scene for Neal Caffrey, but then again what would be the normal scene for him? Start out small and work your way up was what his mother use to tell him, so that's exactly what he had done.

Grabbing a seat at the bar, he ordered a beer, paying for it, then taking a long sip before glancing around the bar taking in the scenery of it all. It was a small bar with maybe five or six tables encircling the crescent moon shape of the Stage sitting directly in front of the bar. There was a band playing jazz music on the stage while a few couples slowly danced on the dance floor below it. The lights were dimmed and you could make out a few groups of people sitting at the tables, some chatting, while others looked as though they might pass out from intoxication. Neal could get use to this scene.

Just as he was starting to get into the music and had kicked back at least three beers by now, a group of girls walked in and straight over to the table placed directly in front of the stage. They were all dressed as though they were clubbing and looked to be at least in their late 20's, not to mention pretty buzzed. Three of the girls went out onto the dance floor and started dancing a drunken' dance that he was sure wasn't to any beat unparticular. This was definitely interesting to say the least.

The girl that got his attention the most though was the girl sitting at the table twirling the straw in her soda, pegging her as the designated driver of the group. She was definitely different from the rest of the girls that were in her group. Wearing her hair down in a flowing manner down her back, she was slim and full figured, wearing a baby doll top that tied in the back and a pair of worn blue jeans with tennis shoes to match the top. She was not something you saw every day at a bar. But that was all he could tell for her back was facing him.

As he was staring off at the girl in front of him, he never even noticed the girl who had approached him and seated herself beside him at the bar ordering a beer as well, until she spoke startling him, "Your out of her league, she's more of the goody tissues type." she said before taking another swig from her beer.

"Goody Tissues? I have never heard that terminology before." Neal responded turning back around to face the bar, ordering his fourth beer.

"Yea it's what I call girls and guys who act like their better than everyone else and treat people as though they are tissues, whenever their done with one, they throw them out and grab a new one, with no regard to how that person feels or not." she said with a slight smirk before looking back down at her beer as though in thought.

"I take it you got tired of being on the Tissue end of that type of relationship?" Neal said with concern and knowing.

"Yes. Not going down that road again. Just once I'd like to find a man that will treat me like an equal and want to spend time with me for who I am and not to get into my pants, just so he can drop me like a rock and go after the next piece of ass he sees. I'm looking for the long haul ya know? What about you? Are you married? Or have a girlfriend? Have any children?" She asked looking into his Blue eyes as she asked.

He was mesmerized by her bright shining green eyes, filled with pain and loss that mimicked his exact feelings. This was one person who understood him in a way that he never thought was possible. Maybe not in the same manner but in general had been through a lot in her short life time. He pegged her to be at least 25 and yet she was no Kate in any means, she was still beautiful to the eyes.

"Single. No kids. I take it your single? Bad break up I'm guessing from the Tissue terminology? Have any children?" Neal said back with the same tone she used, still staring into her green eyes.

"You could say it was a bad break up. Hmm… yea. I don't have any children. I'd love to have them one day that is if I ever find my perfect match. What about you? Plan to settle down in the near future?" She asked taking another swig of her beer.

"Honestly I still try to figure out where I stand in this world right now. I haven't gotten that far yet." Neal replied with a nervous chuckle.

"Soul searching is always fun. You can be anyone you want if you just put your mind to it. I'm looking for myself as well, especially after that bad break up. I want to be more than a notch in some guy's belt." Was all she said as she started to drift off as though she was reliving something from her past? She then looked up to Neal and thanked him for a lovely chat and that she should get going.

"Maybe I'll see you around sometime." she said as she turned and started to walk out the bar. Feeling a sudden feeling of loss and panic he quickly exited the bar to track down the beautiful stranger he had just had the most interesting conversation with, realizing that he didn't even know her name. Exiting the bar he looked both ways for a trace of her current direction, finding nothing.

She had disappeared as quickly as she had appeared into her life. Was she a figment of his imagination? No, she was real, and Neal had confidence he'd see her again real soon, bending down and picking up picture Id that was lying on the ground. She had left him a bread crumb that would lead him back into the path of this woman.